Pasture improvement technologies based on an on-farm study in Uganda Sandra Mwebaze 1 Working Paper No. 18, 2002 Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) 1 Department of Animal Production and Marketing, MAAIF, P.O. Box 513, Entebbe Uganda Earlier published in the RELMA Working Paper Series Conservation tillage II: Handling and care of draught animals under Tanzanian conditions Lars-Ove Jonsson. 2003. WP No. 17 Conservation tillage I: Management practices for animal drawn systems in Tanzania Lars-Ove Jonsson, Emanuel Mawenya and Johan Rockström. 2003. WP No. 16 Land tenure and land degradation in eastern Africa: The context of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Elin Cohen. 2002. WP No. 15 Water-balance accounting for designing and planning rainwater harvesting systems for supplementary irrigation Johan Rockström. 2002. WP No. 14 Tree Nursery Trade in Urban and Peri-urban areas: A Survey in Nairobi and Kiambu Districts, Kenya Caleb Basweti et al. 2001. WP No. 13 Market Status of Avocado and Associated Products in Kenya Dora Magana-Mugambi. 2001. WP No. 12 Study on the Nutrition Value of Avocado and Properties of Avocado Oil Lisa Eriksson. 2001. WP No. 11 Use of Lactoperoxidase in Milk Preservation: Report on a Regional Workshop held in Nairobi, March 2000 Aichi Kitalyi. 2001. WP No. 10 Inventory of Potential Palatable Range Grasses in Southern Province, Zambia Evaristo C. Chileshe and Saeli Inambao. 1999. WP No. 9 Economic potential of Natural Woodlands as a Component of Dryland Farming Systems in Kibwezi Division, Makueni District, Kenya Lucy Emerton. 1999. WP No. 8 On-farm Woody Biomass Surveys (1993 and 1998): A Case Study from Nakuru and Nyandarua Districts in Kenya P.M. Njuguna et al. 1999. WP No. 7 Macadamia Production and Market Organization Study in Kenya Anthony M. Maina. 1999. WP No. 6 Charcoal Trade in Kenya Fridah W. Mugo. 1999. WP No. 5 Workshop on Livestock, Mbarara Uganda: Oct./Nov. 1995 A. de Kartzow (ed.). 1997. WP No. 4 A Pilot Study on Soil Conservation Structures as a Source of Fodder for Smallholders Tekie Gebregziebher. 1996. WP No. 3 Proceedings of the Second RSCU Extension Network Meeting: March 1995, Arusha, Tanzania Maimbo M. Malesu. 1995. WP No. 2 Proceedings of the First RSCU Extension Network Meeting: May 1994, Nairobi, Kenya Anthony Maina. 1994. WP No. 1 Published by Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA) ICRAF House, Gigiri P.O. Box 63403 Nairobi 00619 Kenya © 2003 Regional Land Management Unit (RELMA), Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Editing and Layout: Kimunya Mugo The contents of this publication may be reproduced without special permission. However, acknowledgement of the source is requested. Views expressed in the RELMA series of publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of RELMA/Sida. ii Contents Abbreviations and acronyms iv Foreword v Acknowledgements vi 1 Land and livestock in Uganda 1 Farming systems 1 Livestock husbandry 4 2 Problem statement and justification 7 Objectives of the study 7 Methodology of the study 7 3 Results, observation and discussion of findings 8 Characteristics of the surveyed farms 8 Agronomic practices and tools used 8 Pasture/fodder species 9 Supplementary feeding 10 Pasture/fodder development technologies, level of adoption and constraints 10 4 Strategies for improving pastures/fodder production 12 The importance of pastures and fodder 12 General guidelines for improving pastures 12 Improvement of natural pastures 13 Practical methods of improving natural pastures 13 5 Establishment of permanent grass/legume pastures 17 Land preparation 17 Selection of right pasture species 17 Establishment conditions 17 Seed quality 17 Seed treatment 18 Seed rates 18 Sowing 19 6 Management of improved natural and permanent pastures 21 Early grazing 21 Efficient use of pasture 21 Plant vigour and species balance 21 Weeding 21 Paddocking 22 7 Establishment and management of fodder crops 23 Elephant grass 23 Giant setaria 24 Lablab 26 Lucerne 26 8 Establishment and management of fodder trees 28 Climate and soil requirement 28 Establishment 28 9 Supplementary feeding 29 Compound/homestead residues 29 Cereal and legume crop residues 29 10 Fodder conservation 30 Hay making 30 Silage making 31 11 Recommendations 34 Appendix: Local names of recommended pasture 35 References 36 Abbreviations and acronyms ASL Above sea level CAN Calcium ammonium nitrate ICRAF International Center for Research in Agroforestry MAAIF Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries MFPED Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development MPTs Multipurpose trees NAARI Namulonge Agricultural and Animal Research Institute NARO National Agricultural Research Organization NGO Non-governmental organization NPK Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium RELMA Sida’s Regional Land Management Unit SAARI Serere Agricultural and Animal Production Institute SSP Single super phosphate Ushs Uganda shillings iv Foreword The livestock sector of Uganda is growing fast in response to the Government’s Policy on Poverty Eradication and the Plan for Modernization of Agriculture (PMA). To enhance the process, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (MAAIF) and various development agencies have introduced different pasture improvement technologies in an effort to increase and broaden the livestock feed resource base. Some farmers have adopted various technologies, which they have tested on-farm. However, such information has not been documented and thus achievements in this area have not been shared among the livestock keepers. During the 1998 RELMA Regional Advisory Committee planning session, the need to document achievements in pasture improvement, particularly for livestock intensification, was brought up. In response to this request, RELMA commissioned the study reported herein, through a fellowship award with the following terms of reference: x Review literature on pasture improvement technologies in Uganda and from relevant areas within the region (RELMA Region). x Identify existing pasture management practices, local and those introduced on-farm in Mbarara, Kabale and Mbale districts. x Conduct a short adoption/impact study on the introduced technologies. x Suggest potential pasture management technologies for farmers in Mbarara, Kabale and Mbale districts. x Propose content and material for proposed frontline extension/farmers training on pasture improvement and forage production in the districts. This report presents the existing on-farm tested pasture grasses, fodder trees and shrubs management practices, with key references to practical applications observed in the field. Major constraints for wider adoption of the different pasture improvement technologies were identified as high prices of pasture seeds, lack of appropriate technology (e.g. spot/strip planting techniques and fodder conservation) and insufficient input and capital. However, it was observed that there is a high use of farmer-to-farmer source of planting material, which is an attribute in the farmer-to-farmer extension approach. This attribute was highly ranked as an appropriate extension methodology in the evaluation report of the RELMA pilot project in Mbarara district, the Uganda Soil Conservation and Agroforesty Pilot Project. Åke Barklund Director RELMA v Acknowledgements This work is a product of a four months study (March to June, 1999). Part of this time was spent in the districts of Mbarara, Kabale and Mbale. I am grateful to RELMA, who provided financial support for this work. The personal interest, constant supervision and technical guidance form the RELMA Animal Husbandry Advisor, Dr. Aichi Kitalyi is heartily acknowledged. The moral support and concern received from Mr. Charles Rusoke, RELMA’s Regional Advisory Committee member in Uganda, is highly appreciated. I am indebted to Dr. Denis Mpairwe of MAAIF for his technical input and moral support in the completion of this report. I am thankful to all district staff and farmers in Mbarara, Kabale and Mbale with whom discussions were held during the field visits. The information provided by staff of research institutions is appreciated. I am grateful to my employer, MAAIF and the Commissioner for Animal Production and Marketing in particular, for allowing me to carry out this work as part of my routine schedule. I owe special thanks to Asaph, my husband for his encouragement and endurance during the study, last but not least, I give all glory to God who “makes all things including the completion of this report on time possible” for me. vi 1 Land and livestock in Uganda Farming systems Uganda is divided into four major agro-ecological zones (see Figure 1) and sub-divided into seven agro- ecological areas (see Table 1) which have similar economic and social backgrounds and in which ecological conditions (soil types, topography, and rainfall), farming systems and practices are fairly homogeneous. These broad zones are further sub-divided into sub-zones usually identified by similar factors such as crop combinations, size of holdings, average plot sizes and yields. The distribution of the natural pasture resources of Uganda is also related to the agro-ecological zones (see Figure 2). Generally, the temperatures in Uganda range from 15 to 30ºC with an average of 21ºC. More than two- thirds of the country lies at 1,000 to 2,500 metres above sea level. Annual rainfall ranges from 500 mm in Karamoja in the northeast to 2,000 mm in areas on the shores of Lake Victoria, around the highlands